Khao Khanab Nam

Khao Khanab Nam is a pair of limestone hills about a hundred metres high standing on either side of the Krabi river just downstream of the town, and they are Krabi's emblem - the shape appears on the provincial seal and in every image of the place. A longtail from Chao Fa pier takes fifteen minutes. On the western hill a stairway leads to caves with stalactites and stalagmites, where a number of human skeletons were found; the usual explanation given is that they belonged to people who sheltered there and were trapped by flooding, though the circumstances are not established with any certainty. A mangrove boardwalk runs at the base. The visit is short - the boat, the cave and back - and the caves are lit but slippery, with steps that are wet and uneven. Boats are informal and the fare is negotiated at the pier.

What you actually see

• The twin towers - the limestone hills that give Krabi its emblem.
• The caves - stalactite chambers on the western hill, where skeletons were found.
• The boat approach - fifteen minutes by longtail from Chao Fa pier.
• The mangrove boardwalk - at the base of the hills.

When to go

November to April. Morning is cooler for the stair climb. Two hours covers the boat and the caves. Boats run through the day from the town pier.

Honest expectations

Short - the visit is the boat trip and a cave. Steps are wet, uneven and slippery. Boat fares are negotiated informally at the pier. The skeleton story is local tradition rather than established archaeology.

Nearby

Krabi Town is upstream; Ao Nang and the Railay boats are west.